Industrial Automation

MODULE I – SESSION 6 – DIAC & TRIAC

Learning Outcome
Describe the structure, working principle and V-I characteristics of DIAC

Describe the structure, working principle and V-I characteristics of TRIAC

DIAC
Member of Thyristor family
DIAC stands for Diode AC switch
Also known as transistor without base
Two terminal bidirectional switching device
The two terminals are named as Main Terminal(MT1)
and Main Terminal 2 (MT2)
A DIAC doesn’t have a controlling terminal gate
as in case of thyristor devices.
DIAC – Features
A DIAC can be either turned on or off for both polarities of voltage (i.e. positive or negative voltage).

It can be turned on or off simply by reducing the voltage level below its avalanche breakdown
voltage.

It gives symmetrical switching characteristics for either polarity of voltages

They also works when avalanche breakdown occurs.

The doping concentrations in all the layers are identical

DIACs are used in the triggering of thyristors - TRIAC

Structure
It is a device which consists of four layers and
two terminals.
There is no base terminal in the DIAC
The three regions have almost the same level
of doping
It gives symmetrical switching characteristics
for either polarity of voltages
When the voltage is applied across the
terminals the layer with respective polarity to
the voltage gets activated. This combination of
both the polarities helps in operating the DIAC
in both the directions
Working
Case 1 : MT1 positive w.r.t MT2
 P1 layer near MT1 will be activated.

 P1- N2 and P2 – N3 junctions are forward

biased ; N2 - P2 junction is reverse biased

Initially, the resistance of the DIAC will be

higher because of the reverse bias junction
between the layers so there will be small
leakage current flowing through the DIAC. This
is known as the blocking state
Contd…
 Once the applied voltage reaches the
breakdown voltage the resistance of the DIAC
drops abruptly and then it starts conducting
which leads to a sharp decrease in voltage and
the current starts increasing. This is
the conduction state of the device.

Thus, the conduction from MT1 to MT2 will be

through the layers P1-N2-P2-N3.
Contd…
Case 2: MT2 positive w.r.t MT1
 P2 layer near MT2 will be activated.

 P2- N2 and P1 – N1 junctions are forward

biased ; N2 - P1 junction is reverse biased

 Similar to case 1, initially, the device will be in

the blocking state and only a small leakage
current will flow through the device due to the
reverse biased junction.
Contd…
Once the applied voltage reaches the
breakdown voltage of the reverse biased
junction, the device move into conduction
state.

Here, the conduction from MT2 to MT1 will be

through the layers P2-N2-P1-N1.

Hence conduction is possible in both

directions
V – I Characteristics
Contd…
The First quadrant represents the positive half
cycle where the current will be flowing from
MT1 to MT2.

The Second quadrant represents the negative

half cycle where the current will be flowing
from MT2 to MT1.
Contd..
 Most of the DIACs will be having the breakdown voltage around 30 Volts, the
exact breakdown voltage will be based on the type of the device.

 The DIAC will be in the conducting state until the current reaches the particular
value called the holding current, where holding current is the minimum current
that required for a device to keep it in the ON state.
TRIAC
 An important member of the
thyristor family
 It is a bidirectional device that can
pass the current in both forward and
reverse biased conditions
 It is an AC control device.
 Equivalent to two back to back SCRs
connected with one gate terminal .
 TRIAC is an abbreviation for a TRIode
AC switch.
TRIAC – Symbol & Terminals
 The triac has three terminals – Main Terminal 1(MT1), Main Terminal 2 (MT2) and Gate (G).
 If MT1 is forward biased with respect to MT2, then the current flows from MT1 to MT2.
 If the MT2 is forward biased with respect to MT1, then the current flows from MT2 to MT1.
 The above two conditions are achieved whenever the gate is triggered with an appropriate gate
pulse.
 Similar to the SCR, triac is also turned by injecting
appropriate current pulses into the gate terminal.
 Once it is turned ON, it looses its gate control over its conduction.
 So TRIAC can be turned OFF by reducing the current to zero
through the main terminals.
Structure of TRIAC
 A triac is a five layer, three terminal 
semiconductor device.
 The gate terminal is connected to both N4 and P2
regions and it is near to the MT1 terminal.
 The terminal MT1 is connected to both N2 and P2
regions
 MT2 is connected to both N3 and P1 regions.
 As the terminals MT1 and MT2 are connected to
both P and N regions of the device, the polarity
of applied voltage between these two terminals
decides the current flow through the layers of the
device.
Modes of Operation of TRIAC
The four possible electrode potential combinations make the triac to operate
in four different operating quadrants or modes.
Mode I: MT2 is positive with respect to MT1 with a gate polarity positive
with respect to MT1.
Mode II: MT2 is positive with respect to MT1 with a gate polarity negative
with respect to MT1
Mode III: MT2 is negative with respect to MT1 with a gate polarity positive
with respect to MT1
Mode IV: MT2 is negative with respect to MT1 with a gate polarity negative
with respect to MT1.
Mode 1: MT2 is Positive, Positive Gate Current
As MT2 is +ve w.r.t MT1, P1-N1 and P2-N2
junctions are forward biased and P2-N1
junction is reverse biased.

When the gate terminal is made positive with

respect to MT1, gate current flows through the
P2 and N2 junction.

When this current flows, the P2 layer is flooded

with electrons.
Mode 1 contd…
As more minority carriers are injected into the
reverse biased P2-N1 junction, it breaks down
and a heavy current starts flowing through the
device.

This results in a main current flow from MT2 to

MT1 through the regions P1- N1 – P2 – N2.
Mode 2: MT2 is Positive, Negative Gate Current
When MT2 is positive and the gate terminal is
negative with respect to MT1, gate current
flows through the P2-N4 junction.
This gate current forward biases the P2-N4
junction for auxiliary P1N1P2N4 structure.
This results the triac to conduct initially
through the P1N1P2N4 layers.
This further raises the potential between P2N2
towards the potential of MT2.
This causes the current to establish from left to
right in the P2 layer which forward biases the
junction P2N2.
Mode 2 contd…
Therefore, the main structure P1N1P2N2 begins
to conduct.
Initially conducted auxiliary structure P1N1P2N4
is considered as a pilot SCR while later
conducted structure P1N1P2N2 is considered as
main SCR.
Hence the anode current of pilot SCR serves as
gate current to the main SCR.
The sensitivity to gate current is less in this
mode and hence more gate current is required
to turn on the triac.
Mode 3: MT2 is Negative, Positive Gate Current
MT2 is made negative with respect to MT1 and
the device is turned ON by applying a positive
voltage between the gate and MT1 terminal.
The turn ON is initiated by N2 which acts as a
remote gate control and the structure leads to
turn ON the triac is P2N1P1N3.
The external gate current forward biases the
junction P2-N2.
 N2 layer injects the electrons into the P2 layer
which are then collected by junction P2N1.
This result to increases the current flow
through P2N1 junction.
Mode 3 contd…
The holes injected from layer P2 diffuse
through the N1 region.
This increases the current flow through the
reverse biased P1-N1 junction.

Thus the device turns ON and the current flows

through the layers P2N1P1N3.

As the triac is turned ON by the remote gate

N2, the device is less sensitive to the positive
gate current in this mode
Mode 4: MT2 is Negative, Negative Gate Current
 In this mode, N4 acts as a remote gate and
injects the electrons into the P2 region.
 The external gate current forward biases the
junction P2N4.
 The electrons from the N4 region are collected
by the P2N1 junction increase the current across
P1N1 junction.
 Hence the structure P2N1P1N3 turns ON by the
regenerative action.
 The triac is more sensitive in this mode
compared with positive gate current in mode 3.
V-I Characteristics of TRIAC
 The traic function like a two thyristors
connected in anti-parallel
 The VI characteristics of triac in the 1st and
3rd quadrants will be similar to the VI
characteristics of a thyristors.
 When the terminal MT2 is positive with
respect to MT1 terminal, the traic is said to
be in forward blocking mode.
 A small leakage current flows through the
device provided that voltage across the
device is lower than the breakover voltage.
 Once the breakover voltage of the device is
reached, then the triac turns ON .
Contd…
It is also possible to turn ON the triac below
the VBO by applying a gate pulse in such that
the current through the device should be more
than the latching current of the triac.

Similarly, when the terminal MT2 is made

negative with respect to MT1, the traic is in
reverse blocking mode.

 A small leakage current flows through the

device until it is triggered by breakover voltage
or gate triggering method.
Contd…
 Hence the positive or negative pulse to the gate triggers the triac in both directions.

The supply voltage at which the triac starts conducting depends on the gate current.

 If the gate is current is being greater, lesser will be the supply voltage at which the triac is
turned ON.

Mode -1 triggering is used in the first quadrant

 Mode-3 triggering is used in 3rd quadrant.

Advantage Disadvantage
TRIAC can be triggered by both positive and These are available in lower ratings as compared
negative polarity voltages applied at the gate. with thyristors.

It can operate and switch both half cycles of an A careful consideration is required while
AC waveform. selecting a gate trigger circuit since a triac can be
triggered in both forward and reverse biased
As compared with the anti-parallel thyristor
conditions.
configuration which requires two heat sinks of
slightly smaller size, a triac needs a single heat These have low dv/dt rating as compared with
sink of slightly larger size. Hence the triac saves thyristors.
both space and cost in AC power applications
Advantage Disadvantage
In DC applications, SCRs are required to be These have very small switching frequencies.
connected with a parallel diode to protect
Triacs are less reliable than thyristors.
against reverse voltage. But the triac may work
without a diode, a safe breakdown is possible
in either direction.
Applications of TRIAC
Due to the bidirectional control of AC, triacs are used as
 AC power controllers
 fan controllers
 heater controllers
 triggering devices for SCRs
 three position static switch
 light dimmers
 as a switch
 phase control applications etc.
END OF SESSION 6